Kaos y Lobezno: Meltdown

Havok and Wolverine: Meltdown #1-4

by Walter Simonson

Collects Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown #1-4. Two friends. Two mutants. Two X-Men! Havok, gifted with the ability to project devastating plasma bursts. Wolverine, a feral warrior with an uncanny healing factor, an unbreakable Adamantium skeleton and razor-sharp claws. Ambushed by Russian terrorists while on leave in Mexico, the two find themselves caught in a deadly web of international intrigue and betrayal! Can Alex Summers and Logan thwart a plot to bring the Western world to its knees? Beautifully painted artwork combines with fast-paced prose to create a milestone among graphic albums as Havok and Wolverine star in a landmark X-Men story like no other!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, X Men, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Walt Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as X-Factor and Fantastic Four, on DC Comics books including Detective Comics, Manhunter, Metal Men and Orion, and on licensed properties such as Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Galactica and Robocop vs. Terminator.

He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walt Simonson's Wolverine masterpiece - 'Meltdown' a 'painted' graphic novel set amidst the Glasnost period of the Cold War with hard-line communists looking to undermine and overrun Gorbachev's Soviet Union. A dark and menacing tale, with Wolverine at his deadliest and best, and Havoc really coming to terms with what one has to do to be a hero, yet still showing a fallibility for beautiful woman, in this case the uber double agent 'Quark'. An absolute must read for Wolverine fans. 7 out of 12, beautifully painted Three Star read.

2010 read

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the good old times of painted comic books.

Reading this book in the late 80’s was kind of a shock. Not that the story was particularly impressive- a post Cold War chess game on a Chernobyl background- but my oh my the art!

Kent Williams worked on a massive, slouchy and feral Wolvie with his distinctive loose style while Jon Muth worked on a more watercolored etheral James Deanian Havok.
Back in the days this was still novelty and whether suited to the plot or not this eye-catching visual experiments were like treats if you were looking for something different.

Still, I’ll admit this might not be everybody’s cuppa. As much as I like Williams for instance I can perfectly understand that his loose and slouchy style may not please everyone. According to nowaday’s standards I reckon both artists are anachronic but if you’re open to something different you might want to give it a try.

The plot is rather mundane; Havok is a total dummy and some lines sound like bad 50’s noir movies. Forget it. Just take it as an excuse to enjoy the art.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 stars. Another solid Wolverine story, this one featuring a team up with the "other" summers brother, Havok.

[OmniBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 3.75/5
A pleasant and unexpected little story which opens the Wolverine omnibus volume 2. I really appreciated Jon J. Muth's painted art, although I'm caught wondering whether a more traditional style would have been able to service the Simonson's strong script better. If there was any creativity left in cinema, an adaptation of this could and should be outstanding, and able to make a bundle off it's (one would expect) more modest budget. As I'll never get that, I'll more than happily settle for this little treasure of a story from a time when such creations were the norm, rather than a rarity. 3.75/5


OmniBen.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting team up, kind the old and new X-Men. While I was not a fan of the art the story was OK. Recommended

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

crap writing, but brilliant art, so it goes in the middle

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing watercolours and art. Havok & Wolverine make a good team. A bit of a tragic love story as well.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, the story here is kinda clunky, especially at the start. There's a long bit where we establish a history of Chernobyl's meltdown for some reason. It's mildly interesting, but feels a bit like padding to get up to the full page count for the series. There are a couple other points in the series that do similar things to pad things out.

Beyond that the story isn't terrible. It's kinda neat to spend some time with Havok and Wolverine together, and because this is from Marvel's Epic line, they can push things beyond the realm of the comics code for more mature themes, light swearing that fits Wolverine particularly well, as well as some action and violence that feel right for the characters involved.

I also love the painted nature of this miniseries. It's a very loose style at times, especially in the watercolor pieces, but can be super detailed when need be. It really does evoke the action noir nature of the story well. The only thing that was a bit of a laugh was in some of the random bits of collage seen in certain spots. For some reason there are the diagrams from the Yamaha DX7 synth and the face of some other rack synth. They feel very out of place if you know what they are, like I do, so I kinda had to laugh because those fancy symbols are just explainers for FM synthesis and an envelope generator, hehe.

Speaking again of the art, the added gallery of sketches and production art in the back was a nice extra. I enjoyed seeing the rough sketches of some of the painted panels, getting a better idea of what work had to be done to get to the painted images.

So yeah, not a terrible story, and the presentation is quite good overall. I think that's more the reason to read this though. To see the badass art from a time when a painted comic was actually painted by hand and not done in some computer program. The story, while decent, is kinda forgettable unless you're a hardcore fan of Havok or Wolverine.

[Pinkerton · Rating 3 out of 5]

English (but not so good) / Italiano
A very artistic graphic, which often has a negative repercussion on story, as in this case. Very unusual tables remain impressed, take a look at Wolverine...

But they’re at the expense of a fairly articulate plot that would need to be supported at least by a greater visual clarity; so it wasn’t. The result is not bad but confusion prevents you from appreciating it full.

Italiano
Una grafica spiccatamente artistica, caratteristica che ha spesso una ripercussione negativa sulla storia, come in questo caso. Tavole molto particolari restano impresse, date un'occhiata a Wolverine…

Ma vanno a discapito di una trama abbastanza articolata che avrebbe bisogno di essere supportata quantomeno da una maggior chiarezza visiva; così non è stato. Il risultato non è male ma la confusione impedisce di apprezzarlo a pieno.

[Maxi Parada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una sorpresa total. No me esperaba nada y me encontré con una obra excelentemente bien escrita y artísticamente hermosa. Además como fan de Wolverine una de las mejores interpretaciones del personaje

[Matthew Talley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Marvel/DC collector, in terms of graphic novels, this is at the top of my "best" list. The story: (No spoilers) Walter and Louise Simonson were at their best in terms of crafting/writing a duo-superhero drama with a western vibe. Jon J. Muth and Kent Williams as the illustrators are second to none in this genre. Their brush calligraphy style is unique in the comic book world, however, it fits this noir tone. The characters of Wolverine and Havok never looked more stylized! If you're a fan of Wolverine and the X-Men in their 1990's heyday, or if you love a brushed paint style in your graphic novels, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy or check it out on digital.

[Silas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this somewhat tedious. I picked it up because I quite enjoy both characters, and they don't really often overlap all that much except in big crossover events. The painted art style seemed interesting at first, but quickly grew tired, and the depictions of characters are frequently much more cartoonish than you might expect from some of the slicker, splashier pages. The story comes shortly after the Chernobyl disaster, and this book implies that in the Marvel universe, that was not an accident, and that the former Soviet powers were trying to use nuclear disasters to power up a radioactivity-powered strong man. A group of three possibly super-powered Russians are trying to capture Havok for that purpose, first trying to capture him on vacation with Wolverine in Mexico (where they are for some reason). The story goes to a number of places along the way, and this was the '80s, so locals are not always handled all that sensitively. A lot of the elements of the story feel pretty forced, and you really have to wonder why the rest of the X-Men don't just show up when really, they could just be thinking that they need help to have some be shortly on the way after the first fight or so. There were a few elements of this book that I enjoyed, but for the most part, it was not really something I enjoyed.

[Jesús · Rating 3 out of 5]

En los correos de los lectores que se publicaron a principios de los años noventa en España se decía casi siempre lo mismo sobre esta serie limitada: en nuestro país no estaba asegurada su publicación porque a los "jefes" de Forum les preocupada su "dibujo raro". Lo que debería haberles preocupado es su historia, porque lo otro es una maravilla realizada en acuarela a cuatro manos por los ilustradores Jon J. Muth y Kent Williams, un trabajo a un mismo tiempo realista (ese Alex Summers 'cool' inspirado en James Dean obra de Muth; el Lobezno animalizado y barrigudo de Williams) y fantástico (un villano que parece un jorobado malvado sacado de una leyenda infantil de Europa del este). La historia, escrita por el matrimonio Simonson, es lo que cojea aquí, una 'road movie' con persecución constante por tierra y aire, desde las cantinas de México a Polonia, con el accidente de Chernóbil, el espionaje, la amenaza terrorista, los métodos de la KGB y la guerra fría todavía calientes.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say first off that this was a very interesting story featuring Wolverine and Havok of the X-men. Rendered in mixed media, as it was done sometimes in watercolour, charcoal, acrylics, and pencil. The artwork alone makes this book worth picking up, as it's a very expressively done. I was surprised by the ending which makes it seem like the main villian who controlled all of "the pieces" would be back for another issue in the Marvel universe.

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has confounded me for decades....the story is interesting, but it's the art by Jon J. Muth that I just can't figure out. It's a surreal painted style unlike almost anyone else's in comics and it draws me in while occasionally infuriating me. Still, it makes this a book I'll return to multiple times, always finding something a little different in its pages.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this had a wild story lol The storyline is a little bizarre and silly, but the artwork is amazing. I recommend this basically for the beautiful watercolors. It's a visually stunning series.

[Alex Sarll]

You ever tried reading a 30-year-old Wolverine miniseries as a diversion, only to find it uncomfortably close to the headlines? Originally Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown, granted, with Havok bumped from the title of modern editions because...well, he's Havok. But trying to sell a comic to fans of Cyclops' screw-up brother is by no means the most puzzling creative decision on show here. We open with a discussion of exactly what went wrong at Chernobyl, between which and the painted art the whole thing feels like it's going for a mature, prestige sort of vibe – and indeed, like the more famous Elektra: Assassin, this was originally published by Marvel's Epic imprint. But as with that book, the seriousness only goes so far. It soon becomes clear that in this version of events the accident was no simple cock-up, but pushed along by revanchist elements within the USSR. Indeed, the conversation on which the comic is eavesdropping turns out to be between characters called General Meltdown and Dr Neutron, which establishes approximately the level of subtlety at work; it subsequently turns out there's also a Quark on their team, despite quarks surely not being particularly applicable to fission.

And even when I read that issue early last week, the idea of totalitarian scum drunk on dreams of Russian glory deliberately making matters worse in Chernobyl seemed bonkers. Not least because with a hindsight unavailable to a 1988 comic, that was part of what did for their precious nightmare in the first place.

Cut to Mexico, where Havok and Wolverine are in a bar-room brawl, trying not to use their powers because they have a bet and whoever does first has to buy the drinks. Oh, and you know how Wolverine has that thing where his hair sticks up and out a bit at the sides? Not like this, you don't; it's gone past a hint of his costume, past even Batman ears, and now looks like antennae, or a particularly greasy version of those Star Wars chaps with the headtacles. Soon they're in a high-speed car chase, which culminates with both of them being shot with bubonic plague-tipped bullets, the sort of device you'd assume must signify something but which here contributes very little that you couldn't have done just by having them tased, and then split up. With Jon J Muth on the Havok-centric scenes, and Kent Williams on Wolverine, it all certainly looks good (well, apart from Wolverine's stupid bloody hair), but there's an underlying wonkiness of tone which can't help leaving me with the suspicion that the whole project was misconceived. After all, while the Simonsons were certainly good comics writers, that's in the sense of their being among the best writers of old school, blood and thunder superheroics, and a story about the shadowy endgame of the Cold War feels like it might be a fundamental mismatch with their strengths.

So was it just the Chernobyl bit which made it feel topical? Oh no. Once we eventually see Meltdown, he's a lumbering picture of machismo with a Judge Dredd chin, muttering balefully about how glasnost has corrupted Mother Russia, and reading it now one can't help but see a resemblance to if not the physical reality, then certainly the self-image of another ex-Soviet strongman high on dreams of blood and glory, especially as his eyes narrow and he plots "A new dawn for the USSR - and the world!" Meltdown has a plan, you see. One through which he will become "the most powerful being the world has ever known! His every word will be law. His friends will prosper beyond their wildest dreams." Sounds pretty much like someone else's goals, doesn't it? Even down to the bit where they're pure greed and megalomania with a patriotic fig leaf. About the only thing the story is missing is that there should be another character who's supposedly on the X-Men's side but keeps trotting out blatant nonsense about how actually Meltdown has been provoked into this and surely a reasonable compromise can be found with the man who likes to relax by practicing the destruction of cities. Still, here's hoping the ending is prescient too, with the big man wasting away to nothing, knowing he's failed utterly, whining "it isn't fair" with his dying words like the spoiled brat he is.

[Len Appleby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note: this review was rejected by amazon.com for violating their ‘community standards.’

This 2003 graphic novel compiles the 'Havok and Wolverine' four-issue miniseries originally issued by Marvel, under its Epic Comics imprint, from March to October, 1989.

The series was written by the husband-and-wife team of Walter and Louise Simonson, and illustrated by Jon J. Muth, with assistance from Ken Williams. Bill Oakley provided lettering.

The plot has something to do with the April, 1986 Chernobyl disaster; Russian agents; bubonic plague; a slinky femme fatale named Scarlett; Transylvania (?!); Wolverine dying two (or is it three ?) times; Havok suffering from amnesia / brainwashing; and a villain who looks like ‘Punch’ from the puppet show ‘Punch and Judy.’

‘Wolverine: Meltdown' is a mediocre comic. It is very much a late Eighties production, when Marvel's Epic line was intended to give comic book creators 'artistic freedom' to do the kind of stories they wanted to do. But the Simonsons badly overwrite this series, shoveling in too many story beats, and leaving the reader to negotiate all sorts of abrupt, contrived transitions in plot and setting.

The artwork by Jon J. Muth may be very 'artistic,' but it's so murky and abstract that I found myself scrutinizing too many panels trying to figure out what, exactly, was being rendered.

When all is said and done, 'Havok and Wolverine: Meltdown' is a misfire, from the age of comics when editors gave writers full leeway to release all sorts of material that was underwhelming. In fact, it was Louise Simonson who was among the first writers to be deposed from their position of primacy at Marvel when, early in 1991, editor Bob Harras let artist Rob Liefeld take over as writer of the series 'New Mutants.' It was Liefeld's artwork, and his refusal to accommodate Simonson's inane plots, that led to Harras's decision. And 'New Mutants' became a best-selling comic.

Only diehard X-Men fanboys are going to find 'Wolverine: Meltdown' to be rewarding and – at its rather steep asking prices – a worthy purchase.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeden z tych nielicznych przypadków, gdzie żałuję wydanych pieniędzy. I to nie małych, bo Egmont "życzy" sobie za to dzieło 200 zł... Wprawdzie udało się zdobyć taniej, ale jak szybko kupiłem, tak szybko sprzedałem...

Bohaterami omawianego dramatu są Logan i Alex Summers. Wyskoczyli sobie we dwóch na wakacje w Meksyku, gdzie zostają wciągnięci w szpiegowską intrygę, która w jakimś stopniu jest połączona z "tą" awarią w Czarnobylu. Wrogowie rozdzielają tą dwójkę po "epickim" pościgu czerwonym autem i próbują im wmówić, że "ten" drugi nie żyje, więc musisz coś zrobić/zginąć. Całość zabierze naszych bohaterów do Europy Wschodniej, a na sam finał nawet bodajże do Indii, gdzie tytułowy złoczyńca, Meltdown, ma pewien misterny plan, a do jego wypełnienia jest mu potrzebny Havok.

Pomyślicie. Pełno akcji, na pewno czysta frajda, okraszona przepiękną szatą wizualną. I jedno się tu zgadza. Praktycznie każda kolejna strona to widok, który spokojnie można sobie zwiesić na ściance jako obraz. Grafiki są śliczne, tak jakby ktoś użył tu akwareli (nie wiem do końca, nie znam się na farbkach). Miejscami karykaturalne, zwłaszcza gdy patrzy się na jednego z antagonistów. Nie szkodzi. Tyle, że całości towarzyszy nudna fabuła, tragiczne dialogi, głupkowate zachowania obojga bohaterów (w sumie więcej z tępaka ma tu Havok).

Były tu "momenty". Gdy Logan przebija głowę jakiegoś szpicla, tak że ostrza wychodzą mu oczodołami. Ucieczka autem. Sama końcówka też jest niezła, ale... W moim odczuciu nie jest warto dotrwać do tych miejsc. Jestem rozczarowany, zwłaszcza że na nieco mniej kasy Egmont oferuje chociażby omnibus Animal Mana, który mogę łyknąć w ciemno, bo to i objętościowo i jakościowo coś co jest usprawiedliwione wyższą ceną. "Meltdown" jest słaby i broni się jedynie "obrazkami". No i taką dziwną fryzurką Wolverine'a. Jestem ciekaw jakiego specyfiku on używa, aby mieć takie "różki".

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published under Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, this book sees Logan and Alex Summers taking a trip to Mexico together in the last days of the Cold War. They are attacked and Alex finds himself kidnapped and manipulated by a cabal of Soviet agents intent on causing a nuclear disaster. Left for dead, Logan sets out in pursuit of his friend, tracking him across the globe.

The story here is... fine. Just fine.
I grew up in the 80s and 90s, so various 'let's make the Cold War hot' stories were a staple of narrative media when I was younger and, aside from using mutants as the inciting element, there's nothing here that really breaks new ground.
That said, I did enjoy seeing the relationship between the title characters. I'm not sure I've ever read story focusing just on this pairing before and it's nice to compare Logan's relationship with Alex to his somewhat more fraught one with Alex's brother Scott.

The USP (unique selling point, if you're unfamiliar with business jargon) here is the fully-painted artwork and I have to say that it's a two-edged sword.
There are some absolutely gorgeous images here (the panels showing femme fatale Scarlett looking into a mirror jump to mind - and, no, not just because she's half-naked) but there are also some really ugly ones too. It's possible the ugly images are intentional as a tonal choice but they certainly didn't enhance the book for me.
Furthermore, the artists have taken the really weird choice to make Logan's hair spikes really long and thin, so he goes around looking like he's got two pig-tails flowing behind him. It's made worse when that feature is carried over into the mask design of his iconic costume.
Just weird and off-putting.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Ilaria Vigorito · Rating 3 out of 5]

La recensione su questo volume deve essere spaccata in due metà: dal lato visuale, penso che realizzi un esperimento davvero interessante di due autori che giocano a scambiarsi gli stili e combinarli assieme per creare quello che sembra una via di mezzo fra un fumetto e un libro illustrato e non sono pochi gli scenari che non sfigurerebbero di fianco a un quadro in una galleria d'arte.

Dall'altro lato la storia che sorregge questo impianto stilistico di tutto rispetto è banalissima, una brutta spy story bondiana, con tanto di tragica storia d'amore e personaggi così piatti da non essere caratterizzati male. Non sono caratterizzati e basta. Wolverine forse si salva per metà ma Havoc è a dir poco un cliché di se stesso, il Dr Neutron e il Generale Meltdown sono due macchiette del super-cattivo intelligente e scienziato pazzo a braccetto col forzuto con poco cervello e Quark... mai visto personaggio femminile tanto deludente.

È un peccato, perché lo spunto di questo volume non era mica male: la paura delle esplosioni nucleari, nel post-Chernobyl, in fondo era altissima e le premesse sembravano buone ma tutte le atmosfere iniziali si sono risolte in una ridicola nube di fumo. Piacevole da leggere più per i disegni che per la storia.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm using this listing for my four "prestige format" originals:

The beginning is packed with humor that works well.

The female villain is the best part of the story- she's an absolutely real woman with true feminine flair in the art of incremental seduction who is rendered stunningly in the eyes of reality.

Next is the genius geez who's methodically gaming the characters on a chess board.

Wolverine is over-the-top but it works well and Havok is tenderly human.

The other main villain is simply played well by the writers.

I knew that the writing would be at least good from known industry veterans but Jon J. Muth's EXTRAORDINARY art put the books on my shelf. I also hold Kent Williams in high esteem so naturally I enjoyed:
The two artists each painted their panels exclusively according to the characters- Muth stroked the good guys and Williams brushed their enemies.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if the Chernobyl meltdown wasn’t an accident but actually the prelude to ensnaring the X-Men?

That’s the concept of this miniseries, starring Havok and Wolverine. Conceived jointly as a kind of spy drama between writers Walt and Louise Simonson and artists Jon Muth and Kent Williams, Meltdown has Alex and Logan globetrotting to stop another nuclear meltdown.

It’s always interesting to see what creatives will do with Wolverine when allowed to tell a “mature” story, and this is no exception. It’s also interesting when Marvel takes creative risks, as it does here with the artwork. Meltdown goes even more abstract than Bill Sienkiewicz — and with spectacular results. A lot of the art isn’t to my personal taste, but it’s a far sight more interesting than the safe and sanitized stuff that makes up so many other graphic novels.

[Crazed8J8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of a rough read. I appreciate the depth of artwork that went into this story, however, it just didn't click with me. It was a very Jae Lee meets Bill Sienkiewicz painting style that made it sometimes hard to tell what was going on.
I know the Simonson's are great at what they do, too, but the dialogue and overall plot on this also fell kind of flat.
That said, it was interesting to see Wolverine and Havok cut loose a little, and to see their "buddy" relationship unfold (this is NOT apparent in the comics at the time.)
The end felt rushed, and all the lead-up to it was a veeery slow read.
All in all, easily skippable, but an interesting, artistic read, if Havok is a character you care about.

[Xander Toner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking a break from my Doctor Who Time Lord Victorious marathon, I decided to read this gem of a comic, wonderfully lent to me by my good friend Ben.

This is something special. Whilst the plot isn't really something special, and can seem a little convoluted or simply strange at times, it's the artwork in this that really shines. As I'm sure you've read from other reviews on this site, the artwork in this comic is so breathtakingly gorgeous, that any other complaints are basically null and void.

Pick it up for the art, basically.

[Nuno · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery and spies story featuring these two characters, with great art and a weak plot. After reading the creator's comments at the end I finally understood why it's so: the artists had a general idea of the kind of scenes they wanted to draw and the writers had the task of turning that into a coherent story. Let's just say that if you're here to appreciate the art, you'll love it. Just make sure you don't pay too much attention to what they're saying.

[Russio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic artwork brings to life a reasonable story. I remember first seeing an edition of this upon its first release as a graphic novel back around 1990 and thinking it to look very different to the Uncanny X Men, that was my staple reading material. Who knew that the art would soon rule the roost in the mainstream comic media?

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first couple issues of this miniseries waay back in the 80s, and it was pretty groundbreaking at the time - the painted artwork, the two artists, Walt AND Louise Simonson.
The story, reading it now, is kind of meh, and while I still am impressed by the art, I found it a bit hard to follow.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent one-off adventure featuring two of my favorite X-Men. The watercolor art was kinda hit or miss with some images being striking and beautiful while other scenes were muddled and indistinguishable. The story was straight forward and predictable but worked given it was only a four issue series.

[Dan P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a strange comic book experience like this with weird and silly art choices built around a solid story and decent character writing. Such an interesting time in X-Men continuity as well. Havok is still relevant coming out of Inferno and Wolverine still feels mortal enough to provide stakes. Oh how their fortunes will change